GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- In the wake of recent publicity about airplane crashes, including the latest major commercial crash -- that of EgyptAir Flight 990 off the Massachusetts coast -- Americans seem to be experiencing some doubt about the safety of flying these days. According to a Gallup poll conducted November 18-21, 54% of all Americans say they are less confident than they were a few years ago about airline safety, while only 41% say they are more confident. Still, when asked whether the crash of the EgyptAir plane would affect their future travel plans, only 26% of all respondents said it would make them less likely to fly on major commercial airlines, while 71% said it would not.
Among those who have ever flown, the impact of the crash is even smaller. In a Gallup poll conducted November 4-7, just 19% of Americans who had ever flown said the EgyptAir crash made them less likely to fly on major commercial airlines, about the same number (20%) who expressed that view in a 1996 Gallup poll following the crash of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island.
Frequent Fliers More Confident
While a majority of all Americans say they are less confident about
air safety than they used to be, confidence is higher among more
frequent fliers. Among those who did not fly this past year, 66%
express less confidence in air safety than a few years ago,
compared to 46% of those who say they have flown once this past
year, 39% among those who have flown from two to four times, and
34% among those with five or more flights in the past 12
months.
Similarly, the more flights people took this past year, the less likely they are to curtail future air travel. Among those who did not fly in the past 12 months, 36% said that they are less likely to fly on commercial airlines as a result of the EgyptAir plane crash. This compares with just 17% of passengers with one flight in the past year who expressed that intention, 15% among those with two to four flights, and only 2% among those with five or more flights.
Among Non-Fliers, Women Are More Cautious Than
Men
Overall, 49% of men and 59% of women say they have not taken any
air trips on a commercial airline in the past year. Among these
non-fliers, women (71%) are much more likely than men (57%) to say
they have lost confidence in airline safety. However, among those
who have flown, the number who express lower confidence is much
closer among men (38%) and women (44%).
Similarly, among non-fliers, 30% of men and 40% of women say that the crash of the EgyptAir plane makes them less likely to fly commercial airlines. However, among those who have flown in the past year, there is essentially no difference in the percentage of men (13%) and women (14%) who say they are less likely to fly commercial airlines.
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a
randomly selected national sample of 1,010 adults, 18 years and
older, conducted November 18-21, 1999. For results based on the
whole sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the
maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is
plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error,
question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys
can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
How many air trips, if any, have you taken on a commercial airliner in the past twelve months -- counting each round trip as one trip?
| None | 54% | |
| 1-2 | 26 | Mean including zero = 1.7 |
| 3-4 | 13 | Mean excluding zero = 3.7 |
| 5 or more | 7 | |
| No opinion | * | |
| 100% |
Compared to a few years ago, how do you feel about the safety of flying on airlines today? Do you have [ROTATE 1-4/4-1] in airline safety?
| National adults | Flown this year | Not flown this year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Much more confidence | 8% | 9% | 7% |
| 2. Somewhat more confidence | 33 | 44 | 23 |
| 3. Somewhat less confidence, or | 32 | 34 | 36 |
| 4. Much less confidence | 20 | 9 | 30 |
| No opinion | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 100% | 100% | 100% |
As you may know, an EgyptAir jet crashed off the Massachusetts coast earlier this month. As a result of this crash, are you less likely to fly on major commercial airlines, or not?
| Less likely | Not less likely | No opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National adults | |||
| 1999 Nov 18-21 | 26% | 71 | 3 |
| 1999 Nov 4-7 | 23% | 76 | 1 |
| Flown this year | |||
| 1999 Nov 18-21 | 14% | 84 | 2 |
| 1999 Nov 4-7 | 15% | 84 | 1 |
| Not flown this year | |||
| 1999 Nov 18-21 | 36% | 60 | 4 |
| 1999 Nov 4-7 | 24% | 74 | 2 |
